LAW AND ORDER IN THE STRONG REPUBLIC

Last June 21, 2007 at around 10:30 PM, I rode an orange and white air-conditioned bus (I think it was a JMK bus.) at EDSA cor. Aurora Blvd. It was on its way to Muntinlupa via Skyway.

I was asleep during the entire ride until two men announced a hold-up when we reached Guadalupe. It was between 11:00-11:30 PM. Holding a revolver each, the two suspects told me and the other six passengers (two men and four women) to surrender our wallets and cell phones. When I refused to give them my gray bag, the two men pointed their guns at me and snatched my bag. They ordered the driver to pass through the Ayala underpass to avoid the traffic lights.

This is how the suspects looked like:

Suspect A Mid-40's to mid-50's 5'6" to 5'8" tall Heavy build Has dark complexion Has short, thick black and gray hair (bunot-style) Has thick black and gray moustache Was wearing clear eyeglasses Was wearing a faded pink and gray (in horizontal stripes) short-sleeved shirt with collar Was wearing blue jeans

Suspect B Mid-30's to early 40's 5'4" to 5'6" tall Medium build Has dark complexion Has prominent cheekbones with sunken cheeks Has short, thin black hair (almost crew cut) Was wearing a yellow T-shirt with black stripes on the shoulders Was wearing maong shorts

The Weapons Both men used similar guns. The gun was silver with brown handle and old-type barrel (similar to toy revolvers).

(According to the conductor, the two men got on the bus at Shaw Blvd.)

When we reached the Magallanes Interchange, the two men jumped off the bus. Everyone was in a state of shock. The driver seemed to be in autopilot mode as he guided the bus into the SLE. I told him to take the Bicutan Exit and look for the nearest police station to report the incident. When we failed to find one, we returned to the SLE and took the Sucat Exit instead. Along Sucat Road, we finally saw a group of police officers (mobile patrol).

When we reported the incident to them, they told us that it was outside of their jurisdiction and that we have to report the incident to the Ayala Ave. police station incident. I asked if they have two-way radios so that they can contact the police officers in Makati and apprehend the suspects. Apparently, they had none. The other passengers were already feeling tired and helpless. They did not want to return to Makati so soon after what happened. Therefore, the driver and conductor dropped us at Alabang. I even had to ask the conductor for 10 pesos so that I could at least pay for the jeepney fare to Las Pinas.

Knowing that I needed a police report to have all my ID's replaced, I went to the Ayala Ave. police station (the one in the car park beside SM) last June 23 to report the incident. Police Officer Valila refused to make the report. Since the passengers jumped off at Magallanes, it was out of their jurisdiction. He told me to report the incident to Precinct 3 (the one along Evangelista St.) instead.

I went to Precinct 3 and reported the incident to Police Officer Ramile. He also refused to make the report. Since the suspects announced the hold-up at Guadalupe, I should report the incident to the Guadalupe police station instead. My patience was wearing thin at that point, and I asked him to check with the Guadalupe police station first so that I would not waste my time and money going there. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the phone at the Guadalupe police station was not working. Ramile then called Valila to question the latter's decision of sending me over to Precinct 3. After a heated debate, Ramile grudgingly wrote the report on his logbook. He only asked for a summary of the incident and a list of the items I lost. He did not even ask me to describe the suspects. Afterwards, he told me to return on June 25 during office hours to get the typewritten report.

I returned to Precinct 3 at 8:30 this morning to get the typewritten report. Unfortunately, Ramile was not the desk officer on duty. Police Officer Zaratan, the desk officer on duty, told me that I had to wait for Ramile to get the report. When he told me that Ramile was on night shift, I nearly lost my temper. I explained to him that I needed the report today; otherwise, I will not be able to return to the police station during office hours on weekdays. Still, he refused to do the report. He said that his shift ended at 8:00 AM, and I had to wait for the next desk officer, Police Officer Avila, who called to say that he was coming in late. In addition, he claimed that he did not have any papers with PNP letterhead and carbon papers, which he needed to do the report.

At 10:00 AM, Police Officer Avila finally arrived. While he typed out the report, he told me to go to the Makati City Hall to pay for the police blotter. When I got to the Makati City Hall, the cashier at the Office of the Treasurer told me that payments for police blotters are only accepted at the Makati Central Police Station. I asked her why the police officers at Precinct 3 do not know this, and she replied, "Ay, di pa nga talaga nila alam 'yun!" So, I headed off to the Makati Central Police Station, paid P50 for the police blotter and returned to Precinct 3. At 12:00 NN, I finally got the typewritten police report, which was typed on an ordinary bond paper (without a PNP letterhead) and full of spelling and grammatical errors.

My exasperating experience in obtaining the police report is more traumatic, more shocking, than the hold-up incident itself. First, it shocks me to learn that the PNP does not have a communications network to apprehend suspects on the run. If the mobile patrol officers in Sucat were able to contact their counterparts in Makati, I am sure the suspects would have been easily apprehended. Second, it shocks me to learn that the PNP does not have an IT network. An operational IT network will answer issues regarding jurisdiction over crimes done in transit. Anyone can go to any police station (In other words, all police stations should be computerized.) to report a crime, and the desk officer can simply send the report via email to the appropriate police station. The computerization of all police stations would also mean that payments for police blotters could also be accepted at these police stations. There will be no need to centralize payments in a particular police station. Third, it shocks me to learn that some police officers are not updated about changes in procedures. There should be regular update meetings between the local government and local police stations so that correct information would be disseminated to the police officers.

I do not understand why reporting a crime to the PNP has to be so arduous and exasperating. A crime is traumatic enough. There is no need to torture further the crime victims by forcing them to deal with inept, inefficient police officers. I hope that this message will eventually reach the PNP, and I hope that they will address all the issues I raised.

JOHN PAUL E. ABELLERA
Training Associate
ABS-CBN Film Productions Inc. (Star Cinema)